Zeus
"Kneel." -ZeusZeus, also known as Jupiter Optimus Maximus, is the Greek God of the Sky, King of the Gods, and the leader of the Olympian Pantheon. He attained his position after being the only one of his siblings to escape being swallowed by his father, Kronos, as a baby, and after growing up, he freed his siblings and led them in the legendary war known as the Titanomachy. Biography Early Life Zeus was the youngest of six siblings, and the only one of them to escape being swallowed by his father, Kronos, due to his mother Rhea hiding him on Crete and giving her husband a baby-shaped boulder to eat instead. Zeus was raised on the island by several dryads, and was periodically visited by his mother, who told him of the plight of his siblings and the barbarity, avarice, and cruelty of his father, Kronos. Once Zeus was fully grown, he infiltrated his father's palace, using his inherit shapeshifting abilities as an Olympian to disguise himself as a Titan. He posed as a common servant, eventually securing his place as Kronos's cup bearer, personally serving drinks to the King of the Titans. Eventually, at one of Kronos's feasts, Zeus spiked the drinks of his guests with narcotics to knock them out, and brewed a powerful emetic for Kronos himself. Whilst the guests were unconscious, Kronos was made to disgorge his children, who had grown up completely undigested within his stomach. Whilst Kronos moaned on the floor and his party guests struggled to regain consciousness, Zeus and his siblings fled to his home on Crete. The Titanomachy After arriving on Crete, a brief moment was taken for those siblings who had grown up in Kronos's stomach to embrace their mother Rhea, before convening in council to decide their next course of action. All siblings but Hestia unanimously agreed that they should declare war on their father. They launched several attacks against the Titans, but were repeatedly defeated due to superior skill and numbers. After several devastating defeats, the gods arrived at the conclusion that they would be unable to defeat Kronos and the Titans alone. Thusly, he, along with his brothers Poseidon and Hades, and his sisters Hera and Demeter, ventured to Tartarus in order to free their uncles, the Elder Cyclopes and Hekatonkheires, in order to recruit them in battle. As they moved through the Abyss, the young gods battled against numerous monstrous fiends, with Zeus personally defeating Kampe, the powerful abomination Kronos had set up as the jailer for his brothers. In gratitude for their rescue, they agreed to join the gods in taking vengeance on Kronos, who had ordered their imprisonment. Furthermore, the Elder Cyclopes forged powerful weapons for each of their rescuers, with Zeus receiving the Master Bolt. Zeus and his new allies then returned to Earthrealm, where Hestia and Rhea had been visiting the other Titans, and convinced the majority of them to remain neutral in the conflict. Shortly thereafter, the gods then claimed Mount Olympus, the second largest mountain in Greece, as their headquarters, and began referring to themselves as the Olympians. From there, they would launch their assault on Mount Othrys, the seat of Kronos's power. Bringing the might of his newly forged Master Bolt to bear, Zeus blasted the peak off of Mount Othrys, obliterating the Titan's stronghold and hurling them to the earth below. Zeus then allowed the Titans to be bombarded with boulders launched by the Hekatonkheiries, before descending on them with his siblings. Despite their advantages, however, the Olympians could not crush the Titans due to the presence of Kronos, who utilized his power over time to allow his forces to recover and give the Olympians a full fight. The resulting battle shaped the landscape around them, but ultimately, Zeus defeated his father in combat, tearing Kronos's scythe from his grasp and slicing him to pieces. Zeus then utilized the power of the scythe to open a portal to Tartarus, and alter the spell Kronos had cast to keep Ouranos from manifesting. He then cast Kronos's remains into the Pit, along with his brothers Hyperion, Krios, Iapetus, and Koios. Kronos's nephew and second in command, Atlas, was made to sustain the spell that blocked Ouranos by bearing an enormous weight on his back. Ascension and Early Rule After the defeat of the Titans, the Olympians proclaimed their supremacy over the world and crafted themselves a realm from which to rule, named Olympus, after their mountain. Zeus and his brothers, Poseidon and Hades, drew lots to divide up rulership of the world. Zeus gained dominion over the sky, and was elected King of Olympus, having already taken the role as leader. Shortly thereafter, he took the Titaness Metis, who he had seduced while posing as a servant in Kronos's palace as his wife. However, when a prophecy said that any son born to Metis would overthrow his father, Zeus turned her into a fly and swallowed her. Another of Zeus's early conquests included his sister, Demeter, who he seduced while in the form of a snake, despite her numerous rejections of his offers of marriage, resulting in the birth of Persephone. Eventually, after several conquests, Zeus fixated on Hera as his bride. After making a bet with her that she would marry him if he could convince her to say she loved him, Zeus put a plan into action. Using his power over the weather, Zeus summoned a massive storm around Olympus, and took the form of an injured cuckoo bird, allowed himself to be blown into Hera's room. Hera nursed the "animal" back to health, which acted so affectionate towards her that she told it she loved it, upon which the bird immediately transformed into Zeus, and asked her to hold up her end to the bargain. Angered but impressed at Zeus's cleverness, Hera agreed to marry him, and they were joined in a splendid ceremony which invited beings from across the realms. Over the next few years, their union would result in Ares, Hebe, Hephaestus, Enyo, and Elytheia. War Against the Beznadi When Svarog's forces attacked Olympus, Zeus convened the Olympian Council for an emergency strategy meeting. Whilst his son Ares rushed forth recklessly despite his father's commands not to, and was defeated in a duel against Svarog, Zeus mustered the forces of Olympus, and launched an overwhelming counterattack against the invading Beznadi. Zeus himself personally dueled against Svarog, utterly dominating him, ending the battle when he unleashed a blast from his Master Bolt that knocked Svarog back to Earthrealm. As his brothers Poseidon and Hades dealt with the attacks against their kingdoms, Zeus prepared to invade Zemja Bogov, the Beznadi home realm, but found that Svarog's son, Perun, had taken leadership from his father, and thusly, negotiated a peace with the Olympian Council. Battle Against the Angels Around 200 CE, when the angels freed the Titans from their ancient prisons, Zeus was forced to deal with them while his vassals were defeated by the Host of Heaven. Shortly after the Titans had been defeated, the battle weary Olympians were beset upon by the angels, and after several years of battle, the majority of the gods were dragged in chains to Heaven. Zeus himself personally dueled the Archangel Michael, fighting valiantly until he was crushed beneath the foot of the Supreme Commander of the Heavenly Host. The Olympians spent nearly three centuries being tortured within Heavens dungeons, before Zeus, after witnessing his children tortured in front of him finally agreed to cease all worship of the Olympians and consent to being confined in Olympus. Unfortunately, Raphael, the Archangel who had been responsible for their torture, only released Zeus, and continued tormenting the remaining Olympians until the memory of their worship was wiped out, and then, for a few more decades after that. Physical Appearance Zeus typically chooses to appear as a tall, powerfully built man with well sculpted features and shockingly white hair. He typically has his hair reach shoulder length, and also sports a magnificent beard. His eyes are typically electric blue. Personality Zeus is proud and stern, at least publicly, due to his belief that strength must always be projected to maintain order. He does not tolerate slights of any sort to himself or his family, and will personally punish any who insult Olympus (although he will tolerate japes or snide remarks from his relatives in private). While he is known for his incredible cunning, Zeus upholds his position as god of law by always keeping his word. Despite his stern demeanor, he does have a soft side, and his strict rulership of his family is only to ensure that peace and order are upheld. Whilst he loves his children deeply, he is generally more favorable to his daughters than his sons, punishing them less severely for their misconduct, with Athena being his most favored, followed by Artemis. Zeus is the most tender and caring towards his mortal lovers, showering them with gifts and affection, and secretly takes great pleasure in the awe he inspires within his mortal children and lovers. Powers Zeus possesses the standard Olympian powers, but on a power level far surpassing most of his peers. He is the most powerful of the Olympian gods, with the only ones capable of challenging his might being Poseidon and Hades. Olympian Physiology: Due to his Olympian heritage, Zeus possesses a number of magical abilities. Shapeshifting: As an Olympian, Zeus is able to manipulate his essence to transform into any shape he desires. Super Strength: Zeus is gifted with godly levels of physical might. He is the most powerful of all the Olympian gods, with only his brothers, Hades and Poseidon, being able to challenge him. Super Speed: Zeus has vast degrees of superhuman speed. Super Durability: Zeus has the ability to withstand nearly any physical attack without sustaining any harm. Healing Factor: If Zeus is somehow damaged, he is able to recover from non magical damage in seconds. Super Senses: Zeus possesses divinely powerful senses. Immense Magical Power: Zeus, as a higher being, possesses an enormous reserve of magical energy that he can draw on for casting spells which surpasses that of any mortal. Telekinesis (Advanced): Zeus has the ability to mentally exert force on objects, able to move and manipulate them with his mind. Telepathy: Zeus has the ability of mental communication, and is able to read thoughts, as well as scan and alter memories. Teleportation: Zeus is able to move from place to place without traversing the distance in between. He is able to easily traverse between realms unless his progress is impeded by a sufficiently powerful magical barrier. Divine Domains: Due to his status as a deity, Zeus holds innate magical control over certain aspects of existence. Atmokinesis: Zeus possesses divine control over the weather. Electrokinesis: Zeus has divine control over lightning and electricity. Aerokinesis: Zeus is gifted with divine control over air and wind. Deal Making: Due to his status as God of Law, Zeus has the ability to forge binding magical contracts. Skills Leadership: Zeus is an incredibly gifted leader, having rallied his siblings to battle in the Titanomachy, as well as having lead his pantheon in countless battles against rival forces. His fierce determination and Oration: Zeus is an incredibly skilled in the art of public speaking, able to easily command the attention of a crowd. Expert Strategist: Zeus is a gifted planner and strategist, using his cunning both in battle and in order to find new and inventive ways to have affairs without his wife noticing. Expert Combatant: Zeus is an extremely skilled and capable fighter, both on the battlefield and in individual combat. He has a great deal of experience as a warrior, fighting in countless wars and defeating numerous powerful monsters and deities. Charisma: Zeus is an incredibly charming person when he puts forth effort, usually when he is trying to seduce mortal women. Occult Knowledge: Due to his advanced age and enormous experience, Zeus possesses a great deal of magical knowledge. Herblore: Due to being raised by nymphs, Zeus has considerable expertise in the knowledge of plants, both magical and mundane, which he used to brew the emetic which caused his father Kronos to disgorge Zeus's siblings. Notable Equipment Master Bolt: When going into battle, Zeus always carries his Master Bolt, which was forged by him by the Elder Cyclopes in thanks for his part in freeing them. The Bolt is capable of unleashing devastating blasts of lightning and manipulating the weather, and serves to amplify Zeus's already incredible power. Trivia Despite being the ruler of Olympus, Zeus is the youngest of his siblings. The same applies to Kronos, who is the youngest of the Elder Titans. Zeus is the most powerful Olympian god.